State Rep. Gerry Pollet reports on 2012 legislative session

By Evan Smith

Democratic State Rep. Gerry Pollet, whose district now includes Lake Forest Park, sent this report on his first session representing the 46th Legislative District.

State Rep Gerry Pollet

Pollet won appointment to an open seat last year.

Here is his report:

“In my first 5 months on the job as a State legislator, I’ve been through 3 special sessions and one regular session. That has to be some kind of record. 

“Everyone knows that the budget was the marquee issue this session, and although negotiations went long, I’m proud of the final budget we passed. We started session facing the Governor’s proposed budget, which featured across-the-board cuts including the elimination of four days from the school year. What we ended up with, despite the power struggle in the Senate, was a budget that makes no cuts to education and maintains funding for critical social services. Given the deficit we had to remedy, I consider this a major accomplishment. 

“Accompanying the state operating budget was the transportation budget. I worked with my fellow legislators from the 32nd and 46th delegations to ensure that funding was allocated for SR 522 improvements. 

“The other headline from this session, which may have been slightly overshadowed by the 25th hour budget negotiations, was of course the passage of the marriage equality bill. As a longtime supporter of marriage equality, it was incredibly thrilling to be part of such a historic event. Casting my vote in favor of the marriage equality bill was certainly the highlight of my session. 

“Unfortunately, the session was not all rosy, as my bill to end predatory towing practices died in the Senate on the same day that the three ‘roadkill Democrats’ and the Senate Republicans took control. The bill would have provided much-needed consumer protections, and I’m eager to get back to Olympia next session to get the bill passed. I’m also excited to be working on a few other bills this interim, most notably a bill to require each business to certify that for every $75,000 they receive in tax breaks, at least one family-wage job is created. My hope is that this bill, combined with other tax reform measures, will provide a stable revenue stream for early learning and higher education. 

“With the exhausting session (and two special sessions) now behind us, I’m looking forward to getting to know the new parts of the district and continuing my work on behalf of the people of the 46th.”